Cold drinks = sore throat?

[Earthlady]

Is there any truth in the belief (widely held in my country of residence) that drinking ice cold drinks or eating ice cream can give you a sore throat and lead to a cold or 'flu?

I feel this sounds really stupid and I've never observed this link in myself or my family, but every time I or my children have a sore throat we're inevitably asked "Have you had a very cold drink/an ice cream recently?"

[KittyGlitter]

It sounds like one of those myths that we are fed as children and it sticks in our heads, even though logically we know it doesn't make sense. There are different causes for a sore throat, but unless the sore throat is caused by a virus, it wouldn't lead on to cold/flu. What is your country of residence out of interest?

[smudge]

I.A.P. - Before I had my tonsils out at 13, I was promised lots of ice cream afterwards, but was only given one portion in seven days! What a swizz!

[Earthlady]

I've been in Turkey for 12 years, but I'm English and was brought up in England.  In my opinion, too, ice cream can soothe a sore throat but try it here and most people would think you were deliberately trying to harm your child!

[kick3m0n]

the virus that causes a cold does prefer a cooler envrionment to a hot one.  So if you were eating an ice cream, or drinking a cold drink, and came into contact with the virus (breathed it in) it may be slightly more likely to take a hold and develop into a cold than if you'd been drinking a hot drink.  Ditto if you have a cold nose (ie virus will like your cold nasal passages).   Of course, we all get colds etc during warm weather, when noses will be warm, and even if we never drink cold things or eat ice cream, we still catch colds.  So the ice cream etc won't give you a cold or sore throat, but by cooling down your throat and nasal passages, it would make them more attractive to the cold virus, if you came into contact with it.